Best Album of the year IMO. Goes from 70's prog rock to alt folk in single chord changes. Great dense analog recording as well
2. Guttertwins
- was neck and neck for album of the year as well. Superb dark, haunting slow buring rock albums from Mark Lanegan & Greg Dulli. Super recording that matches the musical mood.
3. Portishead - 3
Comeback of the year for sure - This album is another haunting electronic soundtrack of the year. IMO their best. Great dynamic recording
4. Fuck Buttons - Stree Horrssing
Noise does not get any better than this. Like one giant soundscape of noise over 2 LP's. Easily the most original album of the year - brilliant recording as well
5. Wire - Object 47
What a return to form from the original punkrsters from the 70's. Still creating great layed music now, only with a little less punk but still attitude. Rrecording good, EP tRead & Burn 3 hat comes with the LP version is fantastic.
6. Cyrstal Castles Super debut full lengthg albuim from the Canadian duo. Pop, electronic, dance music - call it what you want it is great music. recording is dynamic and clear
7. The Presets - Apocalypso
Can't add too much but say go out and and buy this great Aussie 80's retro synth sounding band that together with Cut Copy this year made it very big globally. recording is compressed but is still listenable on a big system
8. NIN - The Slip
Trent has certainly been churning out music since he left the big music labels. this album is Trent back to his very best, only let down by a rather slow timid ending to the album. great recording
9. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Great album that I really did not expect to like, but it is really is good in an electro folk sounding way. SWuper singles like "time to pretend". Recording is just terrible, bass is non existent - easily the worst sounding album I have bought this year and seemingly recorded only for MP3.
10. The Cure - 4.13 Dream
I had quite a few albums vying to bring home the top ten, however old favourite the Cure did it. Nothing new in this new LP, however ity does imerse you in the gravy thick sonics and the music is emersing as well.
Honorable mentions - TV on the Radio - Oasis - Kings Of Leaon - Paul Weller - Nick Cave - Mogwai
Yeeesssssssss!! that's the one the eMarcy 180gm rerelease it sounds phenomenal,does anyone have the original? I don't even think the original sounds this good.
ok you got me Chas here is another one Bad Plus- For all I Care this is a Great album by up and coming jazz trio. how's that?
Hey, hold up, up there, I love that sarah vaughan album, but speakers corner issued that several years ago, so it hardly counts for 2008. A reissue for 2008 out on vinyl finally is the magnetic fields album "get lost", which I love and am happy to have on vinyl.
Hello Guys this is truly much needed thread,and I'll have to get my oar in the water on this one.enuff of... "what phonostage this.. or what cartidge mates with this ..." after all isn't it about the music?
whew...with that being said I have 2... well 3
1. Radiohead-In Rainbows this is an Unbelievable album definitely a highlight of 2008 2.The Cinematic Orchestra-Ma Fleur this Nu-Jazz (I hate genres) group has evolved into quite the group,as there arrangements and musicianship continues to become more lush and inteligible 3.this one may get disqualified..but here it goes anyway Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown recorded 1957 OH My God this album is undescribable, from the song writing ,sonics, the accompanying musicians WOW!! I am in Love with her voice...
If you guys disqualify that last one I'll get another one.
OK, I forgot to add one on here that I may like better than Kings Of Leon if that's possible, Shelby Lynne "Just a Little Lovin". What a great album.
Bought it for the wife, and I have played it about 100 times since. May be sacralidge, but I like it better than "Dusty in Memphis" which it is an homage to. There I said it, sorry.
Spencer, to your question about "demonstration-quality" sonics, I'll add the Emmylou Harris double-LP "All I Intended to Be"(Nonesuch). To my ear she has the best female voice in all of popular music. The 180g vinyl sounds fantastic except for slightly excessive surface noise. Some of it was recorded to 16-track analog.
I was given that 2Lp record set after I bought my Ortofon SPU.
I guess you think it is pretty good.
I must play it
BTW, Just picked up and played the Black Key's new Lp produced by Dangermouse. very nice indeed with danger adding some nice keybiard depth into the keys blues.
Most of the better sounding LPs are on Matador and New West, both of which seem recently to be mastering and pressing at a consistently high level. Helm records on his own high-quality label affiliated with Vanguard. For realistic instruments in a believable acoustic space, I'm partial toward Helm, Reed, Shearwater, and Pretenders.
Which of all the great musical recommendations above have demonstration quality LP sonics to go along with the great performances?
I love much of this music, and would like to add Vampire Weekend to the list(for the music only), but sonically, haven't heard many new knockouts this year. Cheers,
I didn't like Steven Malkmus (hated his singing) or Levon Helm and while I've purchased a few of the LPs mentioned in this thread, I haven't listened to them yet (still gotta clean 'em!).
"Lots of good stuff but was there anything great?"
Good question. Of 15 or so memorable LPs, the ones I would consider great or near-great are Dylan "Tell Tale Signs", Levon Helm "Dirt Farmer", and Pretenders "Break Up the Concrete."
Honorable mention to Steven Malkmus "Real Emotional Trash", Ray Davies "Workingman's Cafe", John Hyatt "Same Old Man." Lanegan's Gutter Twins is definately up there, but probably no more so than his other fine solo work and early contribution to QOTSA.(Without Lanegan's spooky Cream-like sensibility, Josh Homme is just another head-banger.)
In a category unto itself, this year the alt/folk/roots psychedelic dream pop thing got more interesting with new LPs from Bonnie Prince Billy, Shearwater, Deerhunter, Mercury Rev, Calexico, and Deparment of Eagles(Grizzly Bear). Some of these genre-defying albums blend classical training with rock, acoustic instruments in natural space with electric & electronic treatments, in new & unpredictable ways. PS. The Mercury Rev double LP gets better & better with each listening.
Good comebacks from Alejandro Escovedo, Matthew Sweet, Beck, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, NIN. Ditto above praise for She & Him Vol. I.
Fleet foxes-fleet foxes Bonnie prince billy-lie down in the light Nick cave-dig Lazarus dig Deerhunter-microcastles No age-nouns Tv on the radio-dear science Autechre-quarstice Bon iver-forever emma... Gutter twins-saturnella Bloc party-intimacy Etc.... Lots of good stuff but was there anything great?
I'm going to listen more to the black mountain. I have it but didn't pay much attention to it.
I have Fleet Foxes, but frankly I don't get all the hype. To me they sound somewhat similar to Angels of Light - which i can appreciate, but can;t get into emotionally.
Too me it is just plain boring, however like most things I will re-listten at a later date and maybe my perpective of the album will change
Thanks for doing this. I enjoy discovering new music. A paragraph describing what made it special to you along with info on the sonics is also much appreciated.
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